Diana Gurtskaya
| Diana Gurtskaya | |
|---|---|
 Diana Gurtskaya in 2009 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Diana Gurtskaya |
| Born | July 2, 1978 Sukhumi, Abkhazia, Georgia |
| Origin | Georgia |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2000–present |
Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya (Georgian: დიანა ღურწკაია, born July 2, 1978 in Sukhumi, Georgia) is a blind Georgian singer residing in Moscow, Russia. Following a failed attempt in Belarus the previous year Diana, on March 1, 2008, won the Georgian national final with 39.4% of the vote, therefore she represented Georgia at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia. She won a place in the final at the second semi-final on May 22 and finished 11th.
Gurtskaya has a number of awards to her credit. Most notably, a 2007 Russian Honorable Artist award given to her by president Vladimir Putin, a Medal of Honor given to her by Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, and the Award of Saint Barbara in Ukraine amongst others.[1]
She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including Ray Charles, Toto Cutugno, and Demis Roussos.[1][2][3]
In 2009, Gurtskaya received significant media attention after failing to obtain a visa from the British embassy due to her blindness. However, after a much publicised campaign, a visa was granted and the rules were changed.[4]
Gurtskaya is married to Pyotr Kucherenko, who is a sighted lawyer in Moscow, and they have one son, Konstantin (b. June 2007).
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Diana Gurtskaya's biography at eurovision.tv
- ^ Diana Gurtskaya's biography at eurovision-georgia.ge
- ^ Get to know Diana page of esctime.com
- ^ Blind singer beats UK redtape, from Russia Today on YouTube, 30 April 2009
| Preceded by Sopho Khalvashi with Visionary Dream |
Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 |
Succeeded by Sofia Nizharadze with Shine |
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